Hello Everyone!
New member, completely new to trucking so in at the deep end 
I want to work towards doing Heavy Haulage but I completely understand that I am starting right at the bottom of the pile. But does anyone have any advice on which sectors are best to start out in to head towards that way?
I currently have a full time non driver job and have been advised not to quit it until I find full time truck work which makes sense, I have passed my CPC and Cat 2- tacho card is in the post- but where to start.
I live in Canterbury so my initial thoughts are to approach Salvatori, Ovenden, Parker Steel to try and get some weekend shifts to get some hours under my belt before quitting my current job to go full time. Once I am Full time I want to do my Cat 1 licence to then start building towards doing oversize and STGO work.
Does anybody have any tips for newly qualified drivers in Canterbury area?
Do Network Rail employ there own drivers or are they contracted in?
Any advice welcome!
A good foot in the door for heavy haulage is to try to get work as an â– â– â– â– â– â– driver, will only be van work but will give you an insight into route planning and loading, any experience of driving plant/agricultural machinery will be very beneficial as will a basic mechanical knowledge of how to make things start as you will often be the only person on site and need to Load/unload yourself. The biggest thing in heaven haulage is a can do attitude, you need to be able to find a soloution or way round by yourself.
Thank you ROG
And thank you Lilac Lady for the advice! I should be ok on all of that just need to find the right company and be in the right place at the right time i suppose?
Good luck heavy haulage, hope you get there. I did my cat c cos I love driving things so tempted to do D and CE to get the set. Love the idea of heavy but think I’ve left that a bit late. Not sure I could hack driving at low speeds for 300 miles though!
Keep us posted on your progress!
Probably not going to be straight forward as you might have to take it in steps.
I started out with similar ambition about 12 odd years ago and planted my sights on hiab / plant work but without any experience I wasn’t a good prospect. In the end I took a job doing multidrop food for a year which at least got me established as a driver and I landed a job for a piling firm driving a 8w beavertail hiab for a year until we fell out about hours.
Having had that experience I was a much better proposition and knowing how to operate, load and secure plant and awkward stuff I found a job within a few mile of home with a plant hire firm driving a 6w beavertail. One year on they paid for my class 1 and I was then covering for the low loader driver.
Ten years on I’m still there driving an 8w hiab / beavertail, I’ve been offered other jobs but I think I’d be hard pushed to beat it for hours, money, location etc.
It’s just a bit of perseverance to get what you want.
lilac lady:
A good foot in the door for heavy haulage is to try to get work as an â– â– â– â– â– â– driver, will only be van work but will give you an insight into route planning and loading, any experience of driving plant/agricultural machinery will be very beneficial as will a basic mechanical knowledge of how to make things start as you will often be the only person on site and need to Load/unload yourself. The biggest thing in heaven haulage is a can do attitude, you need to be able to find a soloution or way round by yourself.
Spot on advice. In the plant game a good brain goes a long way. They won’t like you on the fone all the time. If you’re sent to pick something up and the battery’s flat for example, you can either fone the office crying about it,or find some jumpleads and another motor or use yours. If you think like the latter you’ll go a long way.
In your neck of the woods I’d keep an eye out on Ovenden,Skelton,Ardent hire etc. Get some rigid experience in the meantime,even if it’s 18t or whatever
Thanks again guys.
I started restoring full size steam locomotives at 13 and drive 28k miles a year in an old Defender so I’m fairly hands on when it comes to engineering and getting things to work which are being stubborn. I’m used to finding different solutions to problems and working with big heavy, dirty, cold and awkward machines so I think that section I have fairly down pat. Not to say I don’t have any room to learn!
The biggest problem is making the jump from my current job to driving.
I am trying to find some weekend work doing anything but class 2 weekend work is proving illusive around a week time job. But I don’t want to hand in my notice until I have something secure to go too.
Would it be better to wait until I have got my cat 1?
Not as such. As Lilac Lady said, either get in as an ■■■■■■driver, or get in with a company that runs class 1 and 2. Start there on class 2 and show them you’re not a lemon. Other ways are probably available 
